Choices
by FemaleChauvinist
Summary: Since finding out she was a quarter vampire, Winnie Black has never felt she fit in either as a vampire or a human. But now she must decide which one she wants to be.
1. Hitchhiker

**Disclaimer:** While the attempt has been made to be medically accurate, some artistic license has been taken, and statements made by Carlisle are not to be regarded as authoritative.

Recognizable characters and plotlines are the property of Stephenie Meyer; all original characters and story © 2015 FemaleChauvinist.

 _Do not post without permission. Do not copy/print without including the above disclaimer in its entirety._

 **Chapter One: Hitchhiker**

 _Spring 2040_

 _Winnie twenty, college sophomore_

 **Winnie**

I should have looked at the weather report before starting out.

It was a beautiful sunny day in early spring, so I decided to walk the two miles from my dorm to the grocery store to pick up the things I needed.

I didn't hurry through my shopping, but paused to browse through the magazines and carefully choose the items I wanted to buy. It was nearly an hour later that I checked out, fitting everything into my backpack with practiced ease so that nothing would be squashed.

I pulled the backpack on as I headed for the door, and then stopped short in surprise. Heavy clouds now covered the sky, and a cold wind blew snow flurries through the air.

Well, I had no choice; squaring my shoulders I stepped out the door and started the walk home.

I had worn only a thin cotton blouse; within ten minutes I was shivering, my teeth chattering. Why did vampire genes give me acute senses but not immunity to temperature extremes? I crossed my arms tightly across my chest and hurried my steps.

Suddenly I looked up as I heard a car pull to a stop beside me. The driver's window slid down, and a young man leaned his head toward the opening. "Need a ride?"

I hesitated only an instant. Dad had warned me about taking rides with strangers, but honestly, I was one-fourth vampire; I was strong enough to defend myself against any _one_ attacker, anyway. And I was _freezing_ … "Y-yes, pl-pl-please," I chattered.

He pushed the passenger door open from the inside as I walked around the car toward it. I swung my backpack off and tucked it at my feet as I got in. "Th-thanks."

He looked at me for a second, then pulled off his hooded sweatshirt. "Here," he offered.

I tugged it quickly over my head, relishing the warm softness. "Thank you," I said again, managing to keep my teeth from chattering this time.

He merely nodded and reached to turn the heat up before taking the brake off. "Where are you headed?"

"The college dormitory, building D." I huddled further into his sweatshirt, shivering as I slowly warmed up.

A few minutes later, he pulled into a parking space in front of a small café. "Why are we stopping here?" I asked in surprise.

"Because you need to get some warm liquids into you," he answered. He got out and came around to open my door for me. "Come on."

I accepted his hand to get out, and he rubbed my cold fingers briefly before releasing me. I found myself blushing and looked at the floor as I followed him into the building.

There was no one in line ahead of us, and he walked straight to the counter. "Two large coffees, please." He turned toward me. "What do you want with it?"

"A…cheese Danish," I decided.

He nodded and turned back to the salesgirl. "One cheese Danish, and a raspberry strudel. For here."

He took the tray she handed him and led me to a table for two beside the window. Taking one of the coffee cups off the tray, he set it in front of me. "Drink that," he ordered.

I stirred in a packet of sugar, then wrapped my hands around the warm cup and drank deeply of the steaming liquid.

I set the cup down and pushed back the hood of the sweatshirt, then pulled my long braid free to hang down my back. "Thank you."

He smiled as he set the plate with the Danish in front of me. "You know, I don't believe we've been introduced; I'm Justin Morrello."

"Edwina Black…but my friends call me Winnie." The minute I said it, I wondered why I'd introduced myself that way; usually I only gave my full name if someone asked what Winnie was short for.

We stayed in the café even after we had finished our coffee and pastries, just talking. Justin was a law student, a few years older than I was.

Finally he pushed back his chair to stand up. "Well, I guess I'd better be getting you back."

He drove me back to the dormitory and carried my backpack to my room for me. I knew I was probably stronger than he was, but still…I appreciated the gesture.

"Wait here," I told him as I pushed the door open and took my backpack. I slipped out of his sight before pulling his sweatshirt over my head. I folded it quickly and returned to the open doorway. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."

He grinned. "Anytime. Winnie…are you busy Saturday afternoon?"

"Not particularly."

"Then…would you like to come to the baseball game with me, maybe get a bite to eat afterward?"

I smiled shyly. "I'd love to."

"Great! Pick you up at two?"

I nodded. "That will be fine."

"All right; see you then."

 **Next chapter coming next week!**

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


	2. First Date

**Chapter Two: First Date**

On Saturday afternoon, I stood trying to decide what to wear. How dressy was too dressy? It was just a baseball game, but still… There was a nip in the air today, so finally I chose my long wine-colored sweater with the knit cables, over my newest pair of jeans. And if I was going for casual-nice, might as well wear my black shoes with the slight heel…

Nice, but it needed an extra touch…almost without consciously deciding, I opened the little jewelry box with my Three Races jewelry. The necklace with its carved stone wolf just the color of Dad when he phased. The ruby earrings, each like a bright drop of blood, symbolizing the sacredness of human life. And the ring with its heart-shaped diamond, sparkling like a vampire when it caught the light. Momma and Dad had given me the pieces for my high school graduation present. As they explained the meaning of each one, I recognized them as being the same as the charms on the bracelet Momma sometimes wore. They represented my heritage.

When Justin's knock came, I opened the door and found he had dressed causal-nice, just as I had. "You look nice, Winnie," he said with a smile.

"Thank you. Let me just grab my jacket." I pulled it on quickly and hurried to join him.

I enjoyed watching baseball games, though human games seemed just a little boring after seeing my family play, always during a thunderstorm to mask the crack of a hit or the crash of rock-hard bodies slamming into each other. Their baseballs never lasted more than a couple of hits; they started the game with a sack of them.

They had let me play a few times, but it took away some of the fun to know they were holding back for me. And yet, if I played with humans, I was the one who had to hold back. Watching was easier.

"Winnie," Justin said, leaning toward me to be heard above the crowd…he didn't know how sharp my hearing was…"I'll buy you a hot dog if you don't think it will spoil your appetite for supper."

I smiled. "How about one of those big pretzels?"

"Sure. Anything to drink?"

"Coke."

"Okay; be right back." He disappeared into the crowd and returned five minutes later with my pretzel and a hot dog for himself. I bit into the warm saltiness and smiled at him. "Thanks."

Our team won with a last-minute home run, and the crowd went wild. I found myself screaming with them; it didn't exactly compare to the time Uncle Emmett had driven the ball six inches into the trunk of a tree (Uncle Carlisle had tried to convince Aunt Esme it was a foul ball, but she had ruled it a home run), but the excitement of the crowd was catching.

"So, where do you want to go for dinner?" Justin asked as we left the ballpark. "Italian, steak, or seafood?"

"Um…steak, I guess."

He grinned at me. "You know, I kind of figured you for a meat and potatoes girl."

I smiled, a bit flustered. "I like Italian and seafood, too…I just feel like steak tonight."

His grin became a one-sided smirk. "Right."

Justin ordered an appetizer before the meal came, and split a dessert with me afterward. We lingered over cups of coffee, until finally Justin paid the bill and drove me back to the dorm. When he left, a scrap of paper with my phone number on it was tucked in his pocket.

I felt a strange excitement as I got ready for bed that night. I had gone out before…though not since high school…but no one had ever asked me on a second date. It might have made me self-conscious, except I always suspected it had more to do with meeting Dad for the first time. A huge man, close to seven feet tall and obviously protective of his little girl, would be enough to scare anyone off, even if they _didn't_ know he could turn into a giant wolf.

They had all been typical high school boys, anyway; no one I could picture myself loving the way Momma loved Dad. Oh, I wasn't naïve enough to think I could find anything as irrevocably permanent as imprinting; I knew human love could never be as deep as vampire love. But there had to be more for me than dating that was a relationship in and of itself…marriage that was deemed no more permanent than that.

Thinking back now over my afternoon with Justin, I wondered if I might have found it.

 **Next chapter coming next week!**

 **A/N: In my alternate history, Jacob doesn't give Bella the charm bracelet with the wolf carving; he gives it to Nessie for her high school graduation. Then on the night before her wedding, Edward adds his charm for the vampires and Bella adds a ruby like a drop of human blood, to symbolize the joining of three races who used to be enemies. I thought it would be good for Winnie to have "Three Races" jewelry, too, since she's actually descended from all three of them. Barbie**

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


	3. Impossible Decision

**Chapter Three: Impossible Decision**

 _Spring 2041_

 _Winnie twenty-one, college junior_

I stared out the window as Justin drove. I had been going with him for a year now, and now he was coming home with me for spring break. I worried my lip between my teeth; I hadn't told him how big Dad was. Maybe I should have, but I wanted to see his true reaction…to know if anything could scare him away from me.

Not that he could know the truth of how "scary" my family actually was; not yet. In a way, it was the one thing that I regretted; that he couldn't know the truth about my heritage until we were already promised to each other.

I saw his eyes go wide when he saw Dad, and I heard him swallow. But he walked up with his arm around my waist, and met Dad's eyes without flinching as I made the introductions. "Pleased to meet you, Mr Black."

And my heart swelled with love for him.

 **oOo**

"Winnie," Dad said quietly, "Justin asked me for permission to marry you last night."

I drew my breath in with a sharp gasp. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him I would give him an answer in a few days. You see, Winnie, it's really your choice…and it may be a harder decision than you think."

"Why?" I whispered.

"Because, Win, if you marry Justin…you can never see any of us again."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "What? Why?" I breathed.

"Look at us, Win," Dad said soberly. "I'm already claiming to be your older brother; in a few more years I could be younger than you." He claimed he and Momma had legally adopted Dom and me when they got married; I still called him Dad in public. "How long do you think it would be before he started asking questions?"

"What if he does? Why can't we just tell him?"

"No, Win. There are powerful vampires who want their existence kept absolutely secret; they want every human who knows to be killed or changed…and the ones who exposed themselves dealt with. Even having you and Dom know is a risk…but I'll take it," he finished on a growl.

"But — I'll have to tell my children, Daddy! What if they bit someone because they didn't know?"

Dad shook his head. "Your mother is half vampire, and lives exclusively on blood. You're one-quarter vampire, and you were ten years old before we realized you had any appetite for blood at all. If the thirst keeps decreasing that fast, one-eighth vampires won't have a problem with it."

"What about a doctor?" I asked desperately.

"Carlisle says you're close enough to human that any differences would be overlooked as personal idiosyncrasies. And John Uley's a doctor now; he knows what you are and has access to Carlisle's research."

"I could see the tribe?" I asked timidly.

"Sure; most of them are aging now. And, Winnie, I'm not saying you can't have any contact with us at all; you can call and email."

"Not letters?"

"It's better that you don't know where we are," Dad said quietly.

"Or," he continued, "you can ask your Uncle Carlisle to change you. You can become immortal and live with us forever…but only if you give up Justin."

I bit my lip; Dad was right; the choice was far harder than I had thought.

"I don't want an answer now," Dad told me. "I want you to think about it carefully because whatever you choose is permanent."

I frowned. "Humanity isn't permanent. Do you mean if I marry Justin now, Uncle Carlisle would never change me?"

"You wouldn't want him to, Win. If you lose Justin after a lifetime with him…do you really think you'd want to become immortal and live forever without him?"

"Well…I could come back to you, anyway," I said doubtfully.

"You won't want to," he said again. "You'll have children by then, Winnie…you won't want to come back to parents and 'aunts' and 'uncles' who look young enough to be your children's children."

"But there _is_ a third choice," I insisted stubbornly. "Can't I stay with you as a…as what I am?" Whatever that was.

"For a while," Dad said quietly. "You can stay with us for as long as you need to make your decision; Carlisle wouldn't change you if he thought you weren't sure, anyway. But in the end, Winnie, you wouldn't be happy trying to live in both worlds. Someday, you would have to choose."

 **oOo**

 **Jacob**

Nessie lay cradled in my arms in bed, her hot tears rolling onto my bare chest. "She's going to stay human, isn't she?" she whispered.

"Yes," I said quietly. Winnie hadn't given me an answer yet; she didn't need to. I knew she was unsure about accepting immortality, would never be sure enough for the doc to agree to change her. And her "third choice" was no choice at all; she knew that.

Nessie's soft sobs increased, and I ran my hand over her hair.

"Jacob," she whispered after a few minutes, "you knew…before you gave her the choice…what her answer would be. Would you have let her choose…if you thought she would choose immortality?"

It was the one real disagreement between Nessie and me; she had always hoped Winnie would someday be a vampire; I had never wanted that for my daughter. In the end, letting _her_ choose was the only way to resolve it. "Yes," I said quietly. I gently wiped the tears from Nessie's face with my thumb.

Usually when she was upset about something, I would press her hand against my face, wanting to know what was bothering her. Tonight I didn't dare; if I let myself see the true extent of her feelings, I would give in. Even now, every part of me wished I could give my Nessie what she wanted.

Not that it was really my choice anyway; Doc needed my permission to change Winnie, but I couldn't order him to do it and he had already made it clear that he wouldn't change her unless he was sure _she_ wanted it.

And I knew if Winnie _was_ changed against her will, Nessie would someday regret her selfish decision. I couldn't do that to my Nessie; better to hurt her now than have her live with that guilt forever.

It wasn't entirely for secrecy's sake that I'd told Winnie she could never see us again; it wouldn't have been that hard to visit her when Justin was away. But I knew in the end, a clean break was easier…easier than letting Nessie see Winnie slowly grow old and eventually die.

"Jake," Nessie murmured against me, "we're going to lose Dom, too, aren't we?"

"Probably," I admitted. "We can adopt more, Nessie; we can adopt a dozen if you want to." It was a reckless promise; we were already in enough trouble if the Volturi somehow found out Winnie and Dom knew about the existence of vampires.

"No," she whispered. "It hurts too much to lose them."

And I held her close as she cried long into the night.

 **oOo**

Before the end of the week Winnie had told me her decision, and I in turn gave Justin my permission to marry her. "But listen to me, young man. Divorce can't be an option. I don't want any prenuptial agreements about who gets what in a breakup. If you have a problem, you work it out; don't even _consider_ splitting up."

I looked as much like a wolf as was possible without actually phasing, but still he met my gaze squarely. "I love her, Mr Black."

Right. They all claimed that at the beginning. Did humans even know the meaning of the word? "Just remember," I half growled, "if you ever hurt my little girl, there'll be hell to pay, and the whole world won't be big enough to hide you."

 **Next chapter coming next week!**

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


	4. Happiness

**Chapter Four: Happiness**

 _Summer 2042_

 _Winnie twenty-two, graduated_

 **Winnie**

My senior year had flown by. Sometimes I was impatient for time to pass so I could marry Justin; other times I wished it would slow down so I could spend more time with my family. Actually, I wished Dad would let me drop out of college so I could spend what time I had left with them.

I had never been really close to Aunt Rose; she didn't much like Dad. But one day, the summer after I graduated, she surprised me by inviting me out to lunch. She didn't eat anything, of course, but she told me to order whatever I wanted.

"Winnie," she said quietly as we waited for my food to come, "I just wanted to let you know…I think you made the right choice." She smiled at me, and I realized suddenly that she _liked_ me now in a way she never had before.

"The right choice?" I questioned.

"Yes. Most of us didn't have a choice at all, you know." She shrugged. "I'm not saying I blame Carlisle for changing me, but…it's not what I would have chosen. I would have chosen humanity — even if it meant death." She scowled. "Bella's the only one of us who _did_ choose, and she gave it all up — everything I ever wanted!"

"And got what you wanted, too," I said quietly. "That's why you don't like her, isn't it?"

Aunt Rosalie drew a deep breath. "I never said I didn't like her; she's my…sister." She smiled briefly as the waitress came with my food. "I'm sorry, Winnie; I really meant to say how glad I am that you chose humanity."

I was thoughtful as I took my first bite. "Aunt Rose, is it really what you are that bothers you…or just that you _didn't_ have a choice?"

"A little of both, I suppose."

"What I mean is, if you had met Uncle Emmett while you were human…mightn't you have wanted to be changed for him?" We were talking in low tones; too low for human ears to overhear.

"I was changed first, Winnie. And I was the one who found Emmett and asked Carlisle to change him."

"Yes, I know. I'm only saying _if_. Because I'm not really choosing humanity, Aunt Rose; I'm choosing Justin. If he was a vampire…then I think I'd ask Uncle Carlisle to change me."

Aunt Rose smiled sadly. "You know…when I picture being human, Emmett is always human with me, and our children are playing in the yard. I like to think we were destined to meet anyway; that if he had known me he wouldn't have met the bear…of course, I would have been dead if Carlisle hadn't changed me."

"What are their names?"

"Whose?"

"Your children," I said softly.

Aunt Rose smiled, and for the rest of the meal she told me about the family she had imagined for herself and Uncle Emmett.

 **oOo**

 _February 2043_

 _Winnie twenty-three_

A week before my wedding, my vampire relatives held a combination wedding shower/goodbye party at the big Cullen house. My whole family was there, except for Dom. "Wedding showers are for women," he had insisted, "and _I'm_ not saying goodbye to you."

I had smiled, grateful for the reminder that at least I could still see my human brother.

Uncle Jasper's presence at the party kept the mood from getting too tearful, and the presents they gave me were far more expensive than Dad had ever tolerated before. I had known they were rich, but Dad had always wanted to provide for his family himself.

"But this is your inheritance, in a way," Uncle Edward explained as he tucked a bankbook in my hand…I didn't quite dare look at the balance. "It's not as if I can leave you anything in a will…I don't expect to die. So take this now, Winnie…with my love."

I threw my arms around his neck. I was too near tears to speak…but then, with Uncle Edward I didn't need to. _Thank you so much…Grandpa_. I buried my face against his shoulder for a minute, and then pulled away.

"You're going to be so happy, Winnie!" Aunt Alice exclaimed as she danced up to me a little later.

I stared at her; she didn't sound as if she was just wishing me well. "I thought you couldn't 'see' me," I said slowly.

"So did I," she said, perching on the table beside me. "But I could never 'see' Dom real well, either; it's because your futures were always so mixed up with Nessie and Jacob." She frowned in frustration again at not being able to "see" werewolves or half vampires. "As soon as you decided to leave them, I caught a glimpse. You're not as clear as a full human…but I can see enough to know you'll be happy." She leaned forward to kiss my cheek, and then she was gone.

 **Next chapter coming next week!**

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


	5. Taste

**Chapter Five: Taste**

Happy. I supposed I would be, afterward, but now, sitting on the porch swing this last night before my wedding, without Uncle Jasper's soothing influence, I could only think of what I was giving up.

The door opened behind me, and Dad and Momma joined me on the porch. "Winnie," Dad said quietly, "your mother has a favor to ask you."

Momma looked embarrassed, not meeting my eyes. "Please, Winnie, before I say goodbye…could I know what you…taste like?"

"Umm," I hesitated, glancing nervously at Dad. Dad hadn't told me what he and Momma wanted me to choose, not wanting it to sway my decision, but still I knew that Momma had hoped I would agree to have Uncle Carlisle change me. Was this a ploy to turn me into a vampire? But Dad wouldn't go along with that, surely.

"It's all right, Winnie," he said quietly. "She's not venomous; she bites me all the time."

"Well…all right," I said slowly, getting nervously to my feet. I was certainly the only girl in the world whose mother would ask for a _taste_ of her on the eve of her wedding.

"Be careful, Ness," Dad warned. "Remember, she doesn't heal the way I do." As a werewolf, any cut Dad got would heal almost instantly.

Momma gently picked up my hand and with a quick motion sank her teeth into my wrist. It didn't really hurt that much, but the way her eyes rolled back slightly and lost their focus made me nervous; after a few seconds I glanced at Dad, wondering if I should pull away.

Dad put a hand on Momma's shoulder. "Enough, Ness," he said quietly.

Momma's eyes came back into focus, and she lifted her head, a drop of my blood at the corner of her mouth. "Thank you," she whispered. Then she turned and ran into the house, leaving me with my bleeding wrist.

Dad growled softly as he took hold of my arm to look at it. "I told her to be careful…she wasn't supposed to bite the vein." He quickly tore a strip from his shirt and bound it around my wrist. "Come on, Win; let's get the doc to take a look at that bite."

I followed him, afraid now. "Daddy…?"

He grinned at me. "Don't worry, Win. Like I said, she bites me all the time."

"You didn't know she'd go this far," I whispered.

He shrugged. "I'd have wanted Doc to take a look at it anyway; make sure it wasn't going to get infected or anything." He pulled out his cell phone as he started the car. "Yeah, hi, Esme. Doc in? No; just tell him I'm bringing Winnie in; she's got a cut on her wrist. Right; thanks, Esme. See you then."

He hadn't really called to tell Uncle Carlisle, I knew; he wanted to warn Aunt Esme and any other vampires who might be home that he was bringing fresh blood into the house.

It was Uncle Carlisle who greeted us at the door; Aunt Esme was nowhere in sight. I knew he didn't like her to be around fresh blood; not so much because he thought she would lose control as because he didn't like the thought of her being tortured with thirst.

I saw his frown as he caught sight of the bloody strip of Dad's shirt tied around my wrist. "How did you cut yourself, Winnie?"

"I didn't exactly —" I began.

Dad put a hand on my arm to stop me. "Let's get her up to the office first, Doc."

Uncle Carlisle looked steadily at Dad for several seconds, then turned to lead the way up the stairs. Dad kept his hand on my arm as we followed.

"All right," Uncle Carlisle said, shutting the door of his office behind us. "What happened?"

"Nessie…wanted to know what Winnie tasted like," Dad said almost guiltily.

"You let Nessie bite Winnie." It was a statement, not a question, but there was stark unbelief in his tone.

"Hey, I was watching!" Dad protested.

Uncle Carlisle merely shook his head and turned toward me. "How do you feel, Winnie?"

"A…little lightheaded," I admitted.

"Here. Sit down. Jake, go get her a soda or a glass of juice from the fridge."

I clung to Uncle Carlisle's arm as he helped me to the chair and reclined the back; I was so dizzy… I watched through half closed eyes as Uncle Carlisle bent over my bitten wrist.

"Here," Dad said, coming back into the room.

Uncle Carlisle glanced up. "Hold it for her; I don't think her hand would be steady enough. Drink all of that, Winnie."

I sipped the sweet liquid, and began to feel a little better. I didn't really think I'd lost that much blood; it must have been the shock, combined with the pre-wedding nerves and the fact that I hadn't eaten much at supper that night.

In a short time, Uncle Carlisle had finished dressing my wrist and fastened a neat bandage around it. "You rest here, Winnie," he said softly, tucking my hand into my lap. "Jake, I'd like to talk to you in the other room."

 **oOo**

 **Jacob**

I had known I was in trouble from the moment Dr Fang realized what had happened.

"Jacob, what were you thinking?" he demanded, shutting the door of Edward's room behind us…he knew how good Winnie's hearing was.

"I was watching!" I insisted again. Honestly, this was _my_ daughter we were talking about; did he seriously think I'd put her in danger? Yeah, Ness had bitten deeper than I expected, but still…

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You would fight Nessie off Winnie?"

"You'd fight Esme off a human," I muttered.

He looked away. "That's…different. Esme…can reanimate." I heard the raw emotion in his voice at the thought of hurting Esme, and wished I hadn't mentioned it; he might restrain her, but he couldn't _fight_ her.

"Look, Doc, Ness bites me all the time; she stops when I tell her to."

"No offense, Jake, but that's no guarantee. Most vampires wouldn't even consider making a meal of you; Winnie smells human."

I felt my fists clench as I began to grow angry with this whole conversation. "I know my wife, Doc," I snarled. "I _know_ her thirst and I _know_ her control. And saying goodbye to Winnie is hard enough on her without denying her the one thing she asked for…and don't think I gave in the first time she asked, either. Was I wrong? Did Nessie lose control? No. Winnie's _fine_ , Doc."

He drew a deep breath. "Of course she is. Of course, I know you would never put your daughter in danger, Jake; I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," I said quietly. "I shouldn't have said —"

"No — it's all right." He forced a smile. "Let's go check on Winnie."

 **oOo**

 **Winnie**

I smiled at Uncle Carlisle as he and Dad came back into the room. "Feeling better, Winnie?" he questioned.

"I'm fine," I assured him.

"Your color's better," he admitted. "I'll let your father take you home now. Here's some disinfectant and bandages to put on the bite…but you're going to have to think of something to tell Justin."

I grinned slyly. "Oh…I'll just tell him a wolf bit me."

"Hey! Win!"

 **Next chapter coming next week!**

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


	6. Into Humanity

**Chapter Six: Into Humanity**

My fingers were trembling as I adjusted the lace on my wedding dress. I would have liked to wear Momma's, but I was taller and sturdier than she was; even Aunt Alice couldn't alter it enough to fit. I was just glad Dad had kept her from taking free rein with the dresses and decorations; her style was a little extravagant for my taste.

Aunt. I still used the titles, though I was twenty-three now, the same "age" as Uncle Carlisle; only Aunt Esme was still a few years "older" than I was. I stared at Aunt Bella in the mirror as she fixed my hair; she and Uncle Edward were my biological grandparents, but they looked younger than I did now. Eternally young.

It wasn't too late. I could still change my mind; ask Uncle Carlisle to change me and live with my family forever.

But I turned my back on the vampires. Every step down the aisle on Dad's arm was a step away from them, away from immortality. But at the end, in the everyday life of normal humans, my Justin was waiting for me. I had made the right choice.

The End

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


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